| Fig. 175. Newtown Crommolin. ½ | Fig. 176. North of Ireland. ½ | Fig. 177. Ireland. ½ |
An elegant type of socketed celt of not uncommon occurrence in Ireland is shown in Fig. 176. The neck is octagonal below the rounded trumpet mouth, which is ornamented with a series of small parallel beads, between which a number of minute conical depressions have been punched, making the beads appear to be corded. Around the loop is an oval of similar punch marks. A nearly similar specimen has been engraved by Wilde (Catal., Fig. 276), who also gives one of the same general type, but with two plain broad beads, alternating with three narrow ones, round the mouth (Catal., Fig. 277). It has a hexagonal neck. A celt (4¼ inches) from Ballina, Co. Mayo, in the collection of Mr. Robert Day, F.S.A., has an octagonal neck, and five grooved lines round its circular mouth.
Canon Greenwell has one of the type of Fig. 176 (3⅞ inches), with hexagonal neck and five equal beads round the mouth, from Carlea, Co. Longford, and another (3¾ inches), with ten small beads round a somewhat oval mouth, from Arboe, Co. Tyrone. The neck of this latter is nearly rectangular. I have a celt of this type from Balbriggan, Co. Dublin (3½ inches), with a hexagonal neck and a plain mouth. The loop has root-like excrescences from it, as already described.
Fig. 178.—Ireland. ½
There is one more Irish type of looped socketed celts which it will be well to figure, and to which Wilde has given the name of the axe-shaped socketed celt. As will be seen, the blade is expanded considerably below the socketed part, and assumes a form not uncommon among iron or steel axes. I have copied Fig. 177 from Wilde’s cut, No. 281, on an enlarged scale.
A socketed celt expanding into a broad axe-like edge is in the Pesth Museum.
An analogous but narrower form is found in France. I have seen the drawing of one found at Pont-point, Oise (?).
Socketed celts without loops have not unfrequently been found in Ireland. One of this type has been figured by Wilde,[511] whose cut is, by the kindness of the Council of the Royal Irish Academy, here reproduced as Fig. 178. There are two others in the same collection. Another of the same length (2-1/16 inches), but wider at the edge, was found in the Shannon,[512] at Keelogue Ford. A longer and narrower instrument (3¾ inches) of the same kind has also been engraved by Wilde.[513] Another has been engraved by Vallancey.[514] Others (2 and 2⅛ inches) from Lisburn and Ballymoney, Co. Antrim, are in the British Museum. The former has a small bead on a level with the base of the socket. The latter is oval at the neck, but oblong at the mouth.
A bronze instrument of this form, but wider at the edge, was in common use among the ancient Egyptians, and has been regarded as a hoe.